SYSTEM AND METHOD OF ADJUSTING VIEWING ANGLE FOR DISPLAY BASED ON VIEWER POSITIONS AND LIGHTING CONDITIONS

• US 20090174658A1
• Filed: 01/04/2008
• Published: 07/09/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/04/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: BLATCHLEY, Robert D., Zimmerman, Stephen E., Taylor, Donald P. III, Deputat, Jurij M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,115,877 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/158
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1601 Constructional details related to the housing of computer displays, e.g. of CRT monitors, of flat displays constructional details related to flat displays integrated in a portable computer, e.g. laptop, handheld computer G06F1/1637; constructional details related to television receivers H04N5/64

Abstract

A method for adjusting a viewing angle of a display, includes determining a location of one or more viewers and determining lighting conditions. Additionally, the method includes calculating an optimal viewing position of the display based on the location of the one or more viewers and the lighting conditions and adjusting the display based on the optimal viewing position.

Claims

1. A method for adjusting a viewing angle of a display, comprising:

determining a location of one or more viewers;

determining lighting conditions;

calculating an optimal viewing position of the display based on the location of the one or more viewers and the lighting conditions; and

adjusting the display based on the optimal viewing position.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the calculating the optimal viewing position comprises:

determining a viewer adjustment; and

determining a lighting adjustment.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the determining the viewer adjustment comprises:

determining the location of the one or more viewers with respect to the display; and

calculating an average angle or distance of the one or more viewers from the display.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the one or more viewers are three or more viewers and the viewer adjustment is determined using extreme positions of two of the viewers.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the viewer adjustment is at least one of:

determined using a weighting; and

based on a viewing height or distance of the one or more viewers with respect to the display.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the determining the lighting adjustment is based on predetermined settings for a known lighting condition for a known time of day and day of year.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the predetermined settings are user-configurable.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a lighting adjustment, which comprises:

determining a location of the one or more sources of light incident upon the display; and

determining a position of the display such that a reflection of the one or more sources of light does not produce a glare for the one or more viewers.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the adjusting comprises at least one of:

a telescoping adjustment;

a vertical adjustment;

a tilt adjustment;

an angular adjustment; and

a rotational adjustment.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the adjusting is performed after at least one of:

the one or more viewers has moved a predetermined distance;

the lighting conditions have changed with respect to the one or more viewers; and

a predetermined time period.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the lighting conditions may change by at least one of:

a location of one or more light sources changing;

an intensity of the one or more light sources changing;

an additional light source being added; and

a light source being removed.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the adjusting is based on at least one of:

a location of one or more light sources;

an intensity of the one or more light sources;

a time of day and day of year;

a location of the one or more viewers;

a height of the one or more viewers;

a number of the one or more viewers within a viewing distance of the display;

a movement of the one or more viewers;

a distance of any viewer movement;

whether the one or more viewers has left a viewing area; and

a predetermined time period.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether the one or more viewers are substantially stationary or moving;

if the one or more viewers are substantially stationary and a number of the one or more viewers are above a predetermined number, determining a viewer adjustment and a lighting adjustment based on the one or more substantially stationary viewers; and

if the one or more viewers are substantially stationary and the number of the one or more viewers are below the predetermined threshold, determining the viewer adjustment and the lighting adjustment by tracking movements of the one or more moving viewers with respect to the display.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining the location of the one or more viewers is based on at least one of facial recognition or detection, an RFID, motion, a distance measurement, heat and pressure.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining the current lighting conditions is based on at least one of a photodetector, a photodetector array, a photocell, a photocell array, a photodiode or photodiode array, a phototransistor or phototransistor array, a charge-couple device (CCD), an image sensor, a thin-film transistor (TFT), a transparent film attached to the display, a single fixed light detector, a transparent detector that attaches to a frame of the display, and a hemispherical dome having a plurality of light sensors directed in a plurality of directions.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein a service provider at least one of creates, maintains and supports a computer infrastructure that performs the steps of claim 1.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein steps of claim 1 are provided by a service provider on a subscription, advertising, and/or fee basis.

18. A method for deploying an application for adjusting a viewing angle of a display, comprising:

providing a computer infrastructure being operable to;

receive a viewer detection signal indicative of a location of one or more viewers;

receive a light detection signal indicative of a location and an intensity of one or more sources of light; and

adjust a position of the display based on the viewer detection signal and the light detection signal.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the computer infrastructure is configurable to receive the viewer detection signal from at least one of a facial recognition or detection system, an RFID tag, a motion sensor, a distance measurement sensor, a heat sensor and a pressure sensor and is operable to use the viewer detection signal to determine a viewer adjustment.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the computer infrastructure is configurable to receive the light detection signal from at least one of a photodetector, a photodetector array, a photocell, a photocell array, a photodiode or photodiode array, a phototransistor or phototransistor array, a charge-couple device (CCD), an image sensor, a thin-film transistor (TFT), a transparent film attached to the display, a single fixed light detector, a transparent detector that attaches to a frame of the display, and a hemispherical dome having a plurality of light sensors directed in a plurality of directions and is operable to determine a lighting adjustment.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein the one or more viewers are three or more viewers and the computer infrastructure is operable to determine a viewer adjustment of the display using extreme positions of two of the viewers.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein the computer infrastructure is operable to adjust the display after at least one of:

the one or more viewers has moved a predetermined distance;

the location or the intensity of the one or more sources of light has changed; and

a predetermined time period has elapsed.

23. The method of claim 18, wherein the computer infrastructure is operable to default to one or more settings based on a time of day and day of year.

24. The method of claim 18, wherein the computer infrastructure is created, maintained, deployed and supported by a service provider.

25. A computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable program code embodied in the medium to:

determine a location of one or more viewers based on one or more viewer sensors;

determine a location and an intensity of one or more sources of light based on one or more light sensors; and

adjust a position of a display based on an average viewing location of the one or more viewers and the location and the intensity of the one or more sources of light.